Friday, December 31, 2010

Believe is my word for 2011.Believe is a word that has tickled in the back of my mind
for several years.
It may be a difficult word, but I am ready for the challenge.
Focusing on a word I find that beside seeing the positive side,
I also see the negative side.
I feel up to the challenge for 2011.
My journal is ready.
To start the year out there will be a new
Monday series called, Spirit Whispers.
This series has also been percolating since I started to blog
and 2011 will be the year to listen and pay attention to what I Believe.

I do BELIEVE in magic, as shown in the picture.
I hope you will join me on the journey,
pull up a chair or a blanket, have a cup of tea, and share along with me.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Each year when a word chooses me I think this word will be easy to pay attention to.
Each year I am surprised by what I learn or struggle through.
I thought JOY would be super easy, but I was wrong.
As you can see in my collage, there is plenty of JOY in my life.
When I started to pay attention to JOY I started
noticing times when I didn't feel so Joyful.
Times of sorrow, sadness, and yep even some depression.
Sometimes it was difficult to rise above it and feel the JOY.
Sometimes others reminded me of my word, JOY, and
I would find superficial ways of creating the JOY.
Sometimes it was turning up the music loud and feeling it in my soul.
There were times when I needed to take an hour out of my day to walk through a garden.
But always that word would sing in my soul and I would remember.
I think JOY is a part of me and will creep into my words here from time to time;
but then that is a part of what Delights my Heart.

I hope you have found JOY this year and that

maybe the word you chose for 2010 has taught you some valuable lessons.

Do you have a new word for 2011?
I do have one, which I will tell you on Friday.
I will be away Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
still finding the JOY in my days.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Last week, as a gift to myself, I bought one branch of white lilies.
There were seven buds on the one branch.
What a treat of both beauty and fragrance to celebrate
the season watching each bud open.
The JOY I have received from this one branch has been delightful.
It often is the small things that bring us so much pleasure.
What small things are you noticing this season that are bringing you JOY?

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

My office needed a tree to celebrate.
Well you know I am working on tea things in there.
It inspires me to tea.
So off to the kitchen for a cup of my favorite.
Then I sit here with my cup and share with you.

Friends are a Joy.

She remembered I loved this little cup and sent it to me.

Oh thank you for remembering me.

A tea house resides here too.

All lite up and waiting for you to come and have a cup of tea with me.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Yesterday I had been "requested" to come to the court house for jury duty.
Sitting there quietly all morning waiting to be called I started thinking about the angels
around us. At lunch time we were dismissed as most of the trials were settled out of court.
Rarely do I get downtown; so I decided to finish up a bit of Christmas shopping
and enjoy the hustle, bustle of city life.
As I walked along the side walk and saw people in need,
I was reminded of the angels around us.
Nearby a man handed a woman a card with a blessing on it and
with a request for help. The woman didn't have much, but gave what she had in her pocket.
It reminded me of those that help others all year long in soup kitchens, or donating
to special causes, or praying, or just sitting with someone that needs a hand held.
There are angels all around us.
Take time to notice and send them a note of thanks, plus
find your opportunities to be angels to those you are around.

And because I usually write about tea on Fridays,
maybe someone just needs a listening ear and a cup of tea
to warm their soul.

Take time to notice what you notice and be present.

PS: The quilt in the previous post is a very old

family quilt, which I am enjoying above my fireplace for the holiday season. It is too fragile to use, but just to be enjoyed.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Take a peek in the dollhouse.
When Tasha Tudor had young children she created an intricate dollhouse.
The dollhouse I have is not as detailed, but I put it out for the tea to represent what Tasha Tudor once did.
We had Strawberry Shortcake dolls living here, where Tasha had dolls she made
to represent the mid 1800's. Her dolls had quite a story, the couple that resided there
had a wedding that was included in an old Time Magazine issue. There was intrigue,
where the wife later lived in the attic and the husband found another woman to live in the house.

This dollhouse was designed by myself and made by my husband for our daughter when she was 3 years old.
It was so much fun to bring it out again and decorate it for Christmas.
So enjoy the peek and dream of living in a miniature house for the holidays.
I will join you for a cup of tea in the kitchen.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Each year I choose a different theme.
This year it was Take JOY, a Tasha Tudor Old Fashioned Christmas Tea.
Lily and her family started coming for tea when Lily was 4 years old
and now she is as tall as I am and 13 years old.

The menu:

Pumpkin Moonshine Soup

Stuffed Eggs

Tasha's Garden Sandwich

ChickaHominy Sandwich

Hot Cheese Rounds

Goat Cheese Tarts

Tea: Tasha Tudor Welsh Tea

Scones with jam and cream

Gingerbread Doves and Corgi Dogs too

English Toffee Bars

Mincemeat Cookie Tarts

Dundee Cake

Tea: Oolong tea

I reproduced the best I could a table setting from one of Tasha's books and had doves hanging above the table.

The dollhouse, which I will show another day, was decorated and ready for the celebration.

Several of the recipes came from the Tasha Tudor cookbook.

There were stories of Tasha to share and her special Welsh Tea

to drink. There were new guests to celebrate, as Lily's grandmother had recently gotten married and her aunt brought along her partner. Ten in all sat around the table celebrating

Friday, December 10, 2010

A special "me" treat is a cup of chai.
When I am out and about, I love stopping at the local coffee shop for chai.
Isn't this a beautiful cup of chai?
There are getting to be many companies out there selling there brand of chai.
The first one I discovered was Oregon Chai, made here in Oregon.
The owner was inspired to start the company after traveling to India
and having tea in little throw away ceramic cups on the street.
Dragonfly Chai is one I like because there is a sweet version
and a spicy version. Love the spicy recipe.
Now I am finding shops that make there own,
that was the case here at a coffee shop called Mix Sweet Shop in Ashland, Oregon.
Do you drink chai? Have you found a mix that is your favorite?
Right now at Starbucks you can ask for caramel flavoring be added to the chai, now that feels very festive.
I am on a path of discovery, looking for the best cup to savor.
Do tell, what is your favorite?

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Don't those pink lanterns just want to make you dance and celebrate?
On a recent visit to our local Monticello Antique Mall they were celebrating the season in style.
Pink, white, and creams were the color of their season.
So fresh and just plain gorgeous.
Isn't it fun to see a different perspectives on decorating when you travel through the malls?
I love it, it just makes my heart do a happy dance.
What is making your heart do a happy dance during this festive time?

Tip: I have heard that those little bottle brush trees you find at craft stores in green can be bleached and sprinkled with sparkly stuff to look like the trees in the top middle picture. I am going to try it as soon as I can get to the craft store.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Do you send Christmas cards?
Do you ever make them?
My friends have come to expect homemade cards.
Being a person that loves to recycle and find new uses for items,
the past two years I have recycled the cards sent to me from the year before.
Crazy, maybe?
Last year I made bookmarks and resent them back to the same person that sent it to me the year before,
Well this year, every time I enjoyed a cup of chai at the local coffee shop I saved the
sleeve they put around the cup and made my cards from them.
Inside it says: May you be wrapped in the warmth of the holiday season.
The heart came from the card they sent me last year.
Oh the giggles and chuckles I had making them.
You are welcome to copy the idea, but fair warning - your friends might think you have totally lost it.
The sentiments are passed on to each of you:May you be wrapped in the warmth of the holiday season.

Monday, December 6, 2010

The past weekend was full of holiday JOY.
This week I do believe I will share some of that JOY.
It is indeed beginning to look like Christmas everywhere I go.
Saturday we traveled to the country for hot chocolate and donuts.
There were families and children of all shapes and sizes.
Isn't that what the holidays is all about, children?
Maybe throw in a few donkeys, a horse or two, and a few
Christmas trees and what you have is just delightful.
Are you getting out, enjoying the season, maybe playing too?

Friday, December 3, 2010

I will tell you, "No, I don't collect teacups".
I only have this one Christmas teacup.
It is so fun to bring it out for the holidays.
I do believe it is beginning to look like Christmas.
But for sure I don't collect teacups or teapots.
Do you?

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Oh the colors of Christmas are here.
Someone is dreaming of all those dangling things.
Colors so pretty and bright.
They sing in the lights.
How I wish I could play.
It's so exciting around here.
We are decorating, preparing for a great event.
Come and play with me.
Let's celebrate and dance for JOY.
Dream dreams that dance in the night.
Sing songs and laugh.
Celebrate with a warm cup of tea
Wrap in a quilt
Sit by the fire
Dream.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Can you smell them?
The fragrance is divine.
The country side looks ready.
The ground is so soft.
It is like walking on a pine scented sponge in the forest.
Mushrooms were everywhere growing.
The sky looked like it would erupt, but
it waited for us to find the perfect tree.
Yes, the tree was found, cut, then loaded into the car.
How lovely are the trees this time of year.
More lovely is the search and the walk in the country.
Do you find a live tree for your celebrating?
The live one sits in the living room,
but two imitations also adorn the house.
Oh how I love these gorgeous trees.
They delight me!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I must admit
I have a secret to tell
I have a weakness
The truth is I love pastries.
It doesn't matter what kind,
I love them all.
I love baking them.
I love taking pictures of them.
I love smelling them.
And especially I love eating them.
Do you love pastries?
What is your favorite?
Is there something special you bake for the holidays?

Monday, November 29, 2010

Do you read the news or watch it on television?
I realized this morning that one of the first things I do in the morning
is pick the newspaper up off the porch, then sit with my cup of tea
and read the latest news.
How depressing it that?
And then I come and chat with you.
I am wondering if I just skip the news and come and chat if
my words would be sweeter, just wondering?
Delights of the Heart is the place I can focus
on the JOY of life.

So tell me today, what brings JOY into your life today?
Let's focus on JOY and Delights.

A frozen rose sitting at the entrance to my house last week.
It was quite beautiful in it's frozen state and brought JOY to my heart.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Our American Thanksgiving is now a memory.
A very good memory.
Good friends and family sat around the table
for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
There was turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry relish,
sweet potatoes, mash potatoes, gravy, brussel sprouts,
gingered carrots, fruit salad, homemade rolls, wine,
lovely tea, whip cream to top the pies, and
pumpkin, pecan, and mincemeat pies.
Everyone contributed to preparing the food,
which made it extra special.

I was asked for my pie recipes, but they are very simple
to find online. I will say for the mincemeat, I always add a couple apples
to the pie. Also, don't overcook the pecan. My pecan was cooked
too long and though I loved the chewy nuts it wasn't as good as usual.
With leftover pie crust I roll it out, spread with butter, sprinkle with
a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, and bake until golden. A very good
snack while you wait for the pies.

Here is my pie crust recipes, which I have used for many years and
comes from the Better Homes and Garden (red plaid) cookbook.
There are many editions of this cookbook and sometimes the recipe changes.
Mine comes from the one I received as a wedding gift many years ago.

Mix 2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt.
Blend into the flour mixture 2/3 cup shortening, until about pea size.
With a fork gently stir in 5-7 tablespoons of very cold water (I use 6 tablespoons)
With your hands gentle mix just enough to get it into a ball.
Divide in half and roll the bottom crust, add filling,
then if the pie requires a top crust roll the other crust and place on top.
Crimp edges, trim, and bake as required for particular pie.
The second crust could be frozen for another day or used for a second pie
if the top is not desired.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Sometimes a sigh is just a sigh
I will miss you little roses
Sigh of missing
Snow is on the ground
A different kind of beauty
Oh beauty of the day
I will notice today what I notice
and feel JOY in the noticing.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Do you ever drive down a country road and
see a little farm stand sitting there?
I have often passed this farm stand, but had not stopped before.
A perfect autumn afternoon activity is
a drive in the country and a little farm stand.

This stand sat in front of a hazelnut farm.
What beauties they had inside.
Do you know hazelnuts? or maybe you call them filberts?

In France I was served a gorgeous salad with hazelnuts.
A friend sitting nearby wondered if they were garbanzos,
but she wasn't sure as they tasted different.
She grew up in another part of the US and had not seen them before.

After stopping there this past week, I am in love with this little stand.
Buying direct from the farm is such a treat.
Do you have any farm stands nearby?
What do they sell?
I do believe it is important to support our local farmers where ever you live.

Oh yes, I promised a book today.
The winner is Jeanne of Jeanne's Bliss Blog
The book will be sent this week. Enjoy!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Last Saturday I was invited to a very special tea.
Stephanie of Steph's Cup of Tea invited four of us to have tea.
It wasn't just regular tea, but East Frisian tea from Germany.
What a treat!
First you put rock candy in the cup, then Stephanie poured tea from a special white teapot, and finally we dropped rich cream on the top served from a special spoon just for serving the cream.
It was so yummy, like a special dessert.
The special tea, special friendships, little cakes and fruit
made for an extra special day.

You see Stephanie in the picture demonstrating how we set up for another tea ceremony,
a WuWo tea ceremony.

Check out the give-away I mentioned yesterday,
the drawing is Monday morning.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

When my children were young, my daughter just reminded me, I sang this song often. Listening to it yesterday, it once again made my heart sing. Sadly Karen Carpenter left us too soon, but this song still rests in my heart. I hope it brings a smile to your face today. Sending great love and a song for you today.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Twin Hill Ranch came to be part of our family in 1942.
It was the place most of our family gatherings took place.
As children it sometimes felt like it was the center of our universe.
Sadly it was recently sold to someone else.
I couldn't even imagine a time when this ranch wouldn't be a part of the family,
but it has come.
Next May family will have one more time to meet there and share our stories.
I can tell some of the younger cousins stories they have never heard, as
I am the oldest girl and second grandchild of 27 grandchildren.
I can share the friendly competition between the aunts for the best apple pie.
Or the times cousins dared each other to lick the salt lick.
Or flying high on the rope swing and leaping into the pile of hay.
Even the time some of the cousins made apple jack out back of the packing house.
Twin Hill Ranch was an apple ranch and sold the very best apples in the world.
It is located in Sebastopol, California and it will be missed as our family center.

About Me

Many things bring great delight to me: tea, gardens, flowers, outdoors, food, and friends that cross my path. These all make my heart sing with small chuckles, giggles, laughter, and tears. It is my desire to seek beauty all around me, have the heart of a wanderer, a storyteller.

Asso. of Tea Bloggers

PNW Bloggers

Books Read

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa DiffenbaughA Fine Romance by Susan BranchTea Shop Mysteries by Laura ChildsLost Lake by Sarah Addison AllanThe House at Riverton by Kate MortonThe Secret Keeper by Kate MortonWithout Reservations by Alice SteinbachA Week in Winter by Marcia WillettEight Girls Taking Pictures by Whitney OttoTarnished Beauty by Cecilia SamartinThe Time in Between by Maria DuenasThe Orchid House by Lucinda RileyThe Lavender Garden by Lucinda RileyBroken Paradise by Cecilia SamartinKindred Spirits by Sarah StrohmeyerA Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White

Pray for Cancer Cure

Dear God,I pray for the cure of cancer.AmenIn memory of dear friends:Adrienne and Linda